PHOTOS: North Houston area businesses, restaurants reopen at 25% capacity
Diners sit outside at World of Beer at the Boardwalk at Towne Lake in Cypress, which reopened for dine-in service with limited capacity May 1. (Shawn Arrajj/Community Impact Newspaper)
Diners sit outside at World of Beer at the Boardwalk at Towne Lake in Cypress, which reopened for dine-in service with limited capacity May 1. (Shawn Arrajj/Community Impact Newspaper)
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Wearing masks, residents enter a store at 202 N. Main St. in Conroe.
(Andy Li/Community Impact Newspaper)Many small businesses in Old Town Tomball, such as Craving Kernels and Market Street Cafe on Market Street, reopened May 1 to customers as some business restrictions were lifted. (Anna Lotz/Community Impact Newspaper)Gnome Sweet Gnome reopened May 1 after remaining closed for six weeks due to the coronavirus. Owner Sally Kelly said she had been very busy on her first day open, even with maintaining a 25% occupancy. (Kelly Schafler/Community Impact Newspaper)Many restaurants and retailers in Kingwood Town Center were open for business on May 1. Va Va Bloom was selling some of its art pieces at a discount outside the shop. (Kelly Schafler/Community Impact Newspaper)The Old Town Spring Farmer's Market made its debut in the Immanuel United Church of Christ parking lot on May 1. (Hannah Zedaker/Community Impact Newspaper)People gather at the Boardwalk at Towne Lake in Cypress on May 1. (Shawn Arrajj/Community Impact Newspaper)Community members gather at the Tomball Historic Depot Plaza on May 1. (Anna Lotz/Community Impact Newspaper)Chachi's Mexican Restaurant in Kingwood Town Center was open and serving customers for dine-in on May 1. Indoor and outdoor dining was offered. (Kelly Schafler/Community Impact Newspaper)The Houston Premium Outlet Mall in Cypress reopened May 1 with new guidelines to control the spread of COVID-19. Seats were available in the food court, but some benches in communal areas still had barriers May 1. (Shawn Arrajj/Community Impact Newspaper)A sparse crowd of shoppers browsed stores at the Houston Premium Outlet Mall in Cypress May 1. (Shawn Arrajj/Community Impact Newspaper)Cars lined up in downtown Conroe. (Andy Li/Community Impact Newspaper)Russo's New York Pizzeria intended to open for dine-in dinner at 4 p.m. May 1. Indoor and outdoor tables were marked if they broke the 6-foot social distancing requirements. (Kelly Schafler/Community Impact Newspaper)Diners could be seen enjoying meals at both Mia Bella Trattoria and El Tiempo Cantina in Vintage Park on May 1. (Hannah Zedaker/Community Impact Newspaper)Chachi's Mexican Restaurant in Kingwood Town Center was open and serving customers for dine-in on May 1. Indoor and outdoor dining was offered. (Kelly Schafler/Community Impact Newspaper)The Shack in Cypress was one of several restaurants to reopen for dine-in services May 1. Owner Joe Duong said his large outdoor patio provides space for diners to spread out. (Shawn Arrajj/Community Impact Newspaper)Many businesses in Market Street of The Woodlands have opened. (Andy Li/Community Impact Newspaper)
From Downtown Conroe to Old Town Spring, retailers and restaurants across north Houston began the process of reopening May 1. Under recently relaxed guidelines from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, all nonessential retailers and restaurants must operate at no more than 25% capacity in an effort to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
Although the stay-at-home order has expired, public health officials in Harris County have continued to ask people to avoid nonessential travel, wear face coverings when in public and follow hygiene guidelines.
"We are still experiencing entirely way too many COVID-19 cases in our community to become noncommittal," Harris Health System President Dr. Esmaeil Porsa said May 1. "As we take a moment to appreciate out collective success in flattening the curve, I want us to be mindful of the danger that remains and ask everyone to join me to double down and do absolutely everything we can as we take steps to reclaim our lives."
While some restaurants are continuing to operate on a strictly to-go basis, and some businesses are opting to stay closed altogether. The gallery above includes scenes from parts of the north Houston area that are up and running.
The decision may ultimately lie with Gov. Greg Abbott and the rest of the State Preservation Board, which last year authorized the removal of a plaque in the Capitol that said slavery was not an underlying cause of the Confederate rebellion.
This former mattress manufacturing warehouse now features meeting and training rooms, a fitness space and a vehicle maintenance facility for the department.
A total of 723 of the new cases were confirmed in Harris County outside of the city of Houston, which is the most to be confirmed outside of the city in a single day.
With some Harris County residents waiting up to two weeks to get test results, the county has announced a maximum turnaround time of 3-5 days on county-sponsored tests moving forward.
As part of a national initiative to clear animal shelters, Harris County Pets will offer free adoptions for spayed or neutered and heartworm-positive pets.
